


Well at Least it Wasn't the End of the World

by ThaFost



Series: Cartoons Make Everything Better [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Painkillers, Post Avengers (Movie), everyone flirts with everyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-26
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 16:30:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/700334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThaFost/pseuds/ThaFost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Avengers help stop another mini-apocalypse, but once again, Phil doesn't quite get away scott free.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Well at Least it Wasn't the End of the World

**Author's Note:**

> I am not a doctor. Do not trust me for medical information. I tried to get it about right, but as I have not had any too serious of injuries, what do I know?

Getting hurt is tough, but it isn’t the end of the world. No, that was yesterday, or rather Phil rather hoped it had been. If it had, he wouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed uncomfortably. Although it was a lot easier than the last end of the world. Just a pair of broken ribs that may have bruised some organs. Nothing like Loki’s whammy had done.

But now he had to lie here watching all of the avengers vary from molly coddling to misplaced anger. Clint was trying to steal his apartment keys so he could bring back something comforting like a blanket. Natasha was checking if his coffee was cooler than a volcano yet. Bruce sat in a corner playing solitaire with a deck of cards, trying not to show how worried he had been. Tony and Steve had been arguing over who should have been protecting Phil better. Stark put it as a SHIELD duty, but Steve tried to put Phil in the Avengers’ ranks. Every time Phil had tried adding his opinion he was promptly shushed. The argument had died, but the glares had not.

Phil grabs his key ring away from Clint wearily. “Clint, stop. I broke a couple ribs, they should send me home soon.” At the sound of his voice, Steve turns and catches his eye, before turning back to Tony. “I’ll stay out of work for a week or so, and then desk duty for a long while after that.”

“Y’know, I’ve broken my fair share of ribs...” Clint starts off, but he trails away after Natasha sends him a look. “I’m sure you’ll be fine Phil.”

“One more apocalypse and I get a cool codename too. Them’s the rules.” Phil sips at his coffee under Natasha’s watchful eye. Either the hospital has its own coffee shop, or the painkillers are messing with how well it tastes. Tony makes his “I’ve figured it out face!” before he enlightens the room.

“Agent Cool.”

The deafening silence informs Tony that he doesn’t get to pick that for Phil’s codename.

“Phil are your doctors managing your pain?” Bruce asks from his corner, tilting his head forward and he lifts his glasses appraisingly. Warm eyes look towards the dripping IV.

“Yup, packing in all the good stuff before I go home.”

Steve looks perplexed by Phil’s words. Phil was beginning to really feel it all kick in. It was lovely, but he’s a bit of a talker when he’s doped up. Not that it was bad, but he’s prone to saying---

“Your eyes are pretty.”

Stuff just like that. No one was sure who the compliment was for, except for Phil. Tony of course takes it for himself, and Natasha ushers them all out of his hospital room. Phil watches them go before falling sleep, the way it goes normally, painfully slowly before you notice it’s been eight hours.

It was the next morning. Phil knew that. The doctors had pulled back on whatever painkillers they had given him if the deep down ache in his chest was an indicator. He could also tell that Clint was there watching him from the corner. “Report.”

“Tasha may have edged up your pain meds last night.”

“That would explain the... eyes.”

“Does it Phil? They’re going to let you out today, but so help me if you’re coming in to work so soon after your accident to be cow eyes over Rogers, so help me I will lock you in someone’s basement until those ribs heal.” Phil’s mouth tenses out of not knowing what to say and trying not to look shocked. “We’ve known each other a long time, and I’d like to know you longer. That can’t happen if you’re corpse shaped. Well it could, but I am not that kind of guy.”

“When do I get to go home and be an unresponsive lump?” As soon as Phil poses the question, a doctor sweeps in.

“According to my charts, looks like whenever you’d like. Keep yourself as immobile as possible. No bruising according to these images. You should be glad the protoarmor works so well.” The doctor smiles flipping through his notes and avoiding eye contact. “If Stark makes more of that stuff SHIELD would love some.”

“Mr. Stark said it ends with Barton, Romanov and I. Three protoarmor suits.” He hadn’t said that. Rather it had been, “These are super crappy. First gen is always awful, that’s why it’s prototype armor. What you do with version 1 after version 2 is out is up to you.” Phil had planned on just using it for a spare. Clint was sure to give his to a junior agent, and for all Phil knew Natasha might attempt to burn hers.

“So... where are my pants?”

\----

Clint takes him home in his newly acquired Mini Cooper. Phil doesn’t ask about the bullet holes in the leather, and Clint doesn’t whine when he changes the station. Not all of Clint’s adventures were SHIELD ops, and Phil was sure the one involving this car had not been. On the outskirts of Brooklyn, Clint pulls to a stop in front of Phil’s apartment. “Now you call someone if you need anything. Tony said you could crash at the Tower for a while if that’s easier.”

“It’s just my ribs, I’ll be perfectly fine.” Phil’s hand lingers on the handle of the car door. “Why are you so concerned Barton?”

“They didn’t tell me last time. I went through that battle, and a bit of the clean up before I asked why you weren’t there kicking our tails. This time made me think of all the team’s hurt looks as they thought you were dead. Seeing Stark that upset over you felt so wrong then. Now? It’s all anyone can do from running to you when you’re hit. You’re our common tie. You brought us together. Without you we might all kill each other.”

Phil’s words fail him. He just doesn’t know what to say to such a heartfelt statement. Instead he clasps Clint’s shoulder with a squeeze before going up to his modest apartment. The white walls echo the hospital in his mind, but he knows his taste in art is infinitely better. One of the finer pieces is a watercolor that Steve had done for a charity auction to help clean up New York. Tony had bought it at the auction, but the next day he shoved it into Phil’s hands. It’s a beautiful landscape of Central Park, and Phil cherishes it for its artistic values.

Entirely for its artistic values.

With the other art pieces, he tries to bring color lacking from the walls. It’s a small apartment, but it serves Phil’s needs for when he’s not at work. He stumbles through the living room, setting himself on the couch with a whumpf. For situations like this, there is only one solution, marathons of missed television. For a SHIELD agent, medical leave was time for catching up on all things frivolous. Which to Phil meant Supernanny reruns and several shows he had picked out to tape at the beginning of the season that were already cancelled before he had gotten to them.

A few hours of unadulterated laziness later, there’s a knock on the door, and Phil gets up to see who’s interrupting a short lived series with a less than stereotypical gay couple, only to find Tony on his doorstep with a reluctant Bruce and Steve. Opening the door, he looks around for a world ending situation looming outside that requires his attention. But all is calm for once.

“Social call agent, permission to enter?” Tony asks cocking his head to one side. Phil nods, and opens the door wide enough for the men to enter, Tony sweeps in with a bag of chips and a jar of salsa. Steve and Bruce enter a little sheepishly, and he ushers them to sit down. Thankfully the moment he paused on is a nonrisque moment of a conversation. Unfortunately Tony found the remote to fast forward to the scene where the couple goes at it on a couch. “I can see why this got cancelled. That’s a terrible angle.” Phil takes the remote back, and returns the television to live channels. He resumes loafing on the couch, and motions for the others to sit on the chairs flanking the couch. Bruce and Steve pull up chairs, but Tony slips himself under Phil’s feet at the foot of the couch.

“I didn’t think we knew each other quite that well Stark.”

“You only have two chairs.”

That was a glaring oversight, and Phil put a mental note to rectify that soon. Steve makes a move to open the chips and salsa, trying not to comment on Tony’s hands resting on Phil’s legs.

“Have you been taking your pain medication?” Bruce asks, as he grabs some of Tony’s snacks and sneaks the remote away from Phil.

“I haven’t been here that long. I don’t think.” Phil looks at the clock, according to his calculations, he’s got an hour before his next dose. “Got an hour.”

“Would explain your more... normal behavior.” Steve says trying not to dribble salsa as he brings a chip to his mouth. He mumbles something that sounds an awful lot like a remark about Tony’s eyes. Bruce has managed to find an awful movie marathon. Those ones where you know everything is physically impossible, scientifically unfounded, and that the actors hate themselves for needing the job.

“Doesn’t feel like Saturday.” Phil says offhanded. Tony pats his legs awkwardly. Bruce decides to point out every safety violation in the laboratory scenes is the best way to watch the movie, and Tony joins him. Between the two of them they have enough fingers, barely. Steve looks enraptured by the CGI. It’s pretty awful by normal standards, but fresh still to Steve who hadn’t explored the wide world of entirely computer animated yet. Phil laughs as one of the actors he recognizes gets thrown across the street by a baby tornado. The man had gotten his big break as a stunt man, so his characters always get injured.

Phil eventually feels the manageable pain start to blossom into the unmasked rawness it had been while lying against a building. Tony helps him swing his legs over, and Phil toddles off to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Shaking, his hands turn the childproof cap with a jerk. It gives way after a few tries, and he takes the medication as instructed. Feeling like a bad host, he grabs a few glasses, a pitcher of water, and some beers from the darker depths of his fridge. He finds a tray to set them on, and he brings them out to the living room, placing it on his coffee table. Tony grabs at a beer, but Steve and Bruce make no motion towards the drinks. Phil sits back down on the couch, leaning against the back.

“C’mon, relax a bit more suit.” Tony pats his lap after he speaks, trying to make it look inviting. It doesn’t really work, and Phil can’t suppress his snort of laughter. Alternatively he rests his feet on the coffee table, letting himself sink in a bit. The movie has taken a turn for the worse by this point. The scientists have a theory. A baby tornado is obviously... looking for its parents. Bruce makes a strangled noise of disbelief and Tony rolls his eyes so hard Phil’s concerned for the man’s ocular health. Steve stays silent in his disbelief for a moment.

“Wouldn’t it’s parents be... it? The hot and cold fronts that made it?” Steve asks, and Tony agrees to the point. Bruce points out the fallacy in giving parental feelings to a tornado. Phil just laughs as the tornado finally dissipates, once and for all, with its parents by its sides. Bruce forcefully turns off the television. “That poorly conducted science didn’t make you angry, right?” Steve asks quietly. Shaking his head, Bruce leans over to get a beer.

“I am not drunk enough to suffer through another one of those.” Bruce says with a hint of humor in his voice. “Got anything good Coulson? For watching, this brew’s fine.” Phil thinks for several moments and as the pain killers kick in he has an idea.

“Do you remember the time last year that Tony sold rights to an Avengers cartoon and I had to be official liaison to a cartoon?” Phil asks a little less than serious. The cartoon was pretty cheesy, and got most things about them as a team wrong. The character modeled after him had been a woman, Carla Coulson, whose outfits were tight and comic book worthy. Online forums had shipped Carla and just about all of the Avengers including Natasha. Tony smiles, probably because his character’s face was heavily researched and based off of his own. Bruce sighs a little wistfully, and Steve looks pretty intrigued. Pointing, Phil indicates the box set on a shelf, and instructs Tony to get the ball rolling. He had been gifted the first season’s box set because Fury had appointed him as liaison to the cartoon because Fury had refused to work with Hollywood. As Tony knows his way around electronics Phil doesn’t worry he’ll ruin his home entertainment system.

A few episodes in, Carla is introduced, and Phil looks around so he can decide who will have the best reaction. “Agent Coulson, if you’d like to join us?” asks the Iron Man on screen.

“You’re in the show too Phil?” Steve asks, right as it pans to Agent Carla Coulson.

“I’m Carla Coulson. I’ll be your SHIELD go to.” She doesn’t falter meeting their gazes until she sees Captain America. “Captain, it’s nice seeing you again. I mean. I. It’s nice meeting you. I was a part of Operation Ice Cube.” She blushes, and Phil has to fight his own. Out of everything he wished he hadn’t told the animators, his first meeting was the top item on the list. Carla moves towards the Captain, regaining her composure and slinking as well as an animated character can, before handing him a clipboard. “Here’s a briefing on what we know about this monster tearing up New York.” Iron Man clears his throat as they look at each other.

“Tell me again why you’re a woman in this?” Tony asks.

“They needed more female characters for gender balance. Jane and Betty refused to be in it, which is their right, which left Pepper and Natasha.” Phil doesn’t dare look at him now, or anyone else in the room.

“I thought you said it was for romance...” Tony says in a conspiratorial tone. “Didn’t Fury make you read fanfiction summaries to make sure SHIELD wasn’t using mission logs to write fanfiction?”

That had been the worst month ever, and Fury had eventually abandoned the project.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Phil says accidently looking towards Steve who was watching himself awkwardly talk to Carla. Steve looked totally engrossed and not weird about his fictional self flirting with Phil’s fictional self.

Tony pulls out his phone, searching through something Phil can’t read from his end of the couch, but with his smile, it can’t be good.

“ _Steve grabs Coulson’s shoulders gently with his hands. ‘Quiet, you’re alright now. I’ve got you.’ She_ I mean _He---_ ” Steve smacks Tony with a pillow and shushes him.

“Don’t make Phil uncomfortable.” Steve warns, before turning back to the episode. Phil isn’t uncomfortable. Just confused on why Tony knows how to find literary porn about his friends so easily. If his brain was at full function Phil’s certain there’d be a question in there somewhere. Bruce squirms in his seat as The Hulk is going up against the villain of the week all by itself. The voice actor for The Hulk sounds eerily like the big lug. “I wish Clint’s costume didn’t have that weird mask. Makes him look like he’s hiding.”

“Maybe he is Steve. Clint’s past isn’t the best.” Phil shuts his mouth before going into the nitty gritty. Clint wouldn’t want him to talk about it. Through friendship and teamwork the Avengers save the day from another threat. “Next time I want an action figure of myself.”

“I can get one made.” Tony says, he smirks a little too much for Phil’s comfort. “You going to take him on missions with your Captain America?” Phil laughs at that mental image.

“No, I just want to beat your stupid action figure up.” Tony feigns hurt at that before going back to his normal self.

“Guess that takes care of Christmas.” Bruce shakes his head, and the disc returns to the menu screen. “Time to order my driver and go back to the tower. I think we’ve worn Phil here out.”

Phil weakly shakes his head. He’s sure he can stand a little more company. Steve flashes him a smile. “Why don’t you come stay at the tower for a while? If anything goes wrong Jarvis can tell us.” Steve looks so concerned it’s hard to say no, but Phil knows he has to.

“Sure, why not?”

And then his mouth doesn’t contact his brain before saying that. It makes Steve so happy looking and it’s concerning how excited Tony looks at the prospect. “Bruce, go grab some clothes for agent.” He dials his phone as Phil tries to get up to help Bruce, but Bruce waves him off as he goes through the kitchen to Phil’s bedroom. “Happy, pick up requested and we’ll return to the tower. Tell JARVIS to air out floor 23.” Phil knows everyone in the Avengers has a floor, but if feels strange knowing he’ll have one for a few days.

Bruce comes back with a black duffel bag with hopefully clean clothing. Steve asks to borrow the Avengers Assemble cartoon, and Phil obliges. The worst that could happen is Steve getting hooked on it and finishing the episodes before the next season premiere in a few months. Which was unlikely, because Phil hadn’t even watched them all yet. A knock on the door announces Happy’s arrival, and Steve takes the drinks to the kitchen to be disposed of. Bruce helps Phil his feet, and the four of them set out to the limo.

\---

It’s not all that late when they get to the tower. Phil decides to take a couple flights of stairs, so he hitches a ride on the elevator to floor 21, which happens to be a group bonding floor. A nest like couch arrangement sits in front of a large television, and when everyone from the impromptu part emerges from the elevator Clint and Natasha are watching some spy film arguing if the tactics would play out in the field. “Hey kiddos, we come bearing Suit.” Tony says, drawing Clint’s gaze and then his knowing smile.

“Hey boss. What did their offer have that mine didn’t?”

“Steve’s baby blues.” Tony answers and he elbows Bruce gently. “Hey let’s go work on that dynamic elastomer in the lab.”

“Remind me again, why we’re bothering?” Bruce asks with a sigh, and they get back in the elevator.

“Your clothing bills are far too large.”

The doors slide shut as Phil laughs. It would be nice not to pack emergency clothing bags for Bruce on every mission. The pants normally hung onto The Hulk’s form, it was after returning to size that it got awkward. Not that the man was bad looking, but he was probably tired of SHIELD’s newest recruits lobbying for Banner bag duty. Phil had finally assigned it on semi permanent basis to a younger agent who didn’t swing that way, or rather any way. Phil found the agent spectacularly efficient, and wished he could assign Paulson as his assistant, but alas, he doesn’t have an assistant.

Phil grabs his bag tightly and walks to the stairwell. As he opens the door, Steve catches it with his hand, holding it open so Phil can step through. “Going up?”

“My floor is 23, so I’m just up two flights, I need some exercise today.”

“Alright. I’m on floor 24, so tap on the ceiling if you need me, or yell.” Phil smiles at the nervous hand rubbing at the back of Steve’s neck ruffling the hair there.

“I’ll tell JARVIS if I need you.” Phil heads up the stairs, leaving Steve standing at the door. As he enters the darkened area, he flips the light switch and gets an eyeful of just how evil Tony Stark can be. Everything is decorated in red, white, and blue. It’s like the fourth of July exploded in that room. The worst part is the giant framed picture on the wall of Steve’s costumed rear. “JARVIS, tell Mr. Stark his humor is ill received.” Phil sets his duffel bag on a table with an American flag top.

“Right away, sir.” While JARVIS is Tony’s creation, he always sounds excited to Phil when he get to sass Tony.

Phil rifles through the bag finding some pajamas. He puts them on gently before walking over to the bed. He was going to regret it later, but he lays in the middle of the large bed and goes to sleep.

When he wakes he is acutely aware of the pain in his chest. Fumbling with the covers, he digs himself out. It’s still difficult to maneuver out of the bed, but he manages. He finds the painkillers and takes his next does before spying a clock. 6:20 blinks at him through the dim light. “JARVIS is anyone else awake and in a common area?”

“Steven Rogers is in the Gym, Clint Barton is in the kitchen, and Tony is in an elevator going to his suite to presumably sleep.” JARVIS didn’t sound quite so sure about that last one.

“Thank you JARVIS.” Phil tried to be polite to all AI systems in case they ever tried to overthrow humanity so they’d remember him well, also because it was common courtesy. He pulls on some clothes before heading to the kitchen, as he figures he needs something to eat with the serious painkillers. As he enters the kitchen from the elevator, he doesn’t see Clint at first. Then hidden in one corner, is a nook where Clint lays on his belly, waiting for something or someone. “Mornin’ Clint.”

“Mornin’ Phil. I think there’s some bacon in the fridge if you want some.” Oh that sounds tempting to Phil. It may not be healthy, but screw healthy. He searches through the fridge, finding the meat product in a drawer towards the bottom. Taking a few eggs out of a carton he sets them gently on the counter next to the stove. There’s a stove top griddle in a stove drawer, and Phil heats it up. A cheery ding announces a new arrival, and Phil turns to the elevator. Steve emerges, hair glistening from a shower, or sweat, but Phil’s pretty sure it’s a shower. “Mornin’ Cap, good work out?”

Steve murmurs a noise of agreement. Phil puts the bacon on the griddle and the other men’s stomachs give mewling growls. “Shall I put on some more?”

“Yes please.” Steve says, and Phil swears his voice is lower than normal. Phil slides more bacon on for the other two.

“If you guys want eggs, you can grab them yourself.” Phil feels a presence behind him before it slides to the fridge close by. Whoever it is gets a few eggs and place them next to Phil’s. He can’t make it out without turning away from the bacon, and he’s not sure why he needs to know so badly. “Sunny side up?”

“Sounds great,” Steve says, and Phil feels a shiver run up his spine from Steve’s voice being that close. It feels strange, to be cooking for the man, it’s generally not something he did for friends. Or perhaps Phil just hadn’t had the right kind of friends before. A few flecks of airborne bacon grease remind Phil that short sleeves, bacon frying, and daydreaming do not all go together the best. He flips the meat, careful not to burn it. Clint gets him a plate to put it all on when it’s finished, and he uses it gratefully. He cooks the eggs in the bacon grease, like he was taught during KP duty. Pulling out a toaster that looks far more advanced than necessary, Clint sets to work toasting a slice of bread. When it’s all ready, they sit down together to eat. Natasha enters then, clad in a SHIELD issued robe.

“None for me? Thanks.”

“I can make more.” Phil says, placing his hands on the table to help him stand up. Natasha puts her hand on Phil’s shoulder to stop him. 

“Зайка, I can fend for myself.” She breezes to the kitchen area to get to work, and Phil eats one of his eggs trying not to watch her. She moves so effortlessly it’s a bit difficult to tear his eyes away from her. As he finishes up his meal, he moves to wash up his dishes, but Steve stops him. Steve takes the plates to the sink, and starts to wash them, Clint stands next to him rinsing and drying. When Natasha sits down she whistles appreciatively. “You sure trained them quick.”

Clint smiles, threateningly waving the spray hose. Natasha waves back. Phil smiles at the little scene and gets to his feet. “I’ll be at 21 pretending I don’t exist. Or rather pretending my ribs are intact.” He excuses himself to the elevator. A short ride later, he settles into the nest and browses to find some quality entertainment. It’s nowhere to be found. He turns it to a home decorating channel enjoying a moment to let his brain wander. After a few minutes, the rest of them waltz in, and fit themselves around Phil gently. Clint and Natasha flank him, with Steve being on one end on the other side of Clint. Natasha steals the remote away and she flips through all of the channels before finding the home design channel again.

“We need to watch Bambi, for Steve’s sake.” Clint says quietly. “And everything else Disney.”

“I’ve seen most of them now.” Steve says a tad grumpily. “I’ve been awake over a year. Disney was an easy accommodation for me. Not too... new.” Phil smiles. He had known that Thor and Steve had watched many princess movies together.

“How long until Thor’s back after Odin sleep?” Phil asks. It had been rather awful not having him during the recently averted apocalypse.

“He said a week or so. Cap, have you watched Sound of Music yet? It’s got Nazis.” Clint sounds almost gleeful.

“Can’t say that I have, no.”

Clint pulls the musical out from a vast library and sets it up. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

In the end, Clint’s right, Steve does enjoy it but he excuses himself after the movie to go do Captainy things. By then, a tired moppy haired Bruce has pulled himself from his bed, and joins them in the nest, and he’s commandeered the remote to watch TED talks. It’s quite interesting, and the four of them find several compelling talks among them. It’s close to lunch when Phil’s phone rings, the ringtone indicating Fury’s direct line. Natasha and Clint’s phones ring shortly afterwards. “Boss, you know I’m injured.”

“Just think you ought to know Wrecking Crew’s headed to the Avenger’s tower.”

“Yes... that would be pertinent information.” Phil hangs up and nods to Clint and Natasha. “JARVIS wake up Tony. Tell him and Steve the Wrecking Crew are enroute.”

“Right away sir. Might I suggest you go to underground floor 3, for maximum safety?” Phil weighs his options, but shakes his head.

“I’m just going to stay here and trust that the team can do this.” Steve slams into the room, in full Captain regalia, having ran the three flights of stairs.

“We’ve got to scoot, Tony put the suit on auto pilot to the crew, I’m not sure if he’s still awake.” He hits the coffee table, and it springs apart revealing a spare set of Clint and Natasha’s gear. Phil makes a note to be careful around the coffee table, as Clint and Natasha take their stuff, and head to the elevator, the four of them seeming awful comfortable with each other. Phil settles into the couch for a little nap.

He wakes to the sound of an elevator ding, and laughter. The pain has started again, and he reaches into his pocket for the medication. Tony’s laughter rings out the loudest, and Phil smells a whiff of something amazing, so he turns to see them with brown bags. “Hey Agent, we brought Shawarma. “ Bruce looks the way he does post missions, tired and grateful to be wearing pants again. The team crowd in around him, avoiding his ribs, but still sitting quite cozily. Bruce and Steve flank him this time, which makes Tony smirk as he eats his meal. Phil tries not to think about the warm thighs pressed up against his on either side as he eats. Taking a sip of a water, he takes his pill with the food trying to be casual, but Steve catches his eye afterward.

“Am I sitting too close? I can move.” Steve looks worried but Phil shakes his head.

“You’re okay, just don’t poke me. Or elbow me.”

“Maybe you ought to put your arm around him to be safe.” Tony says trying not to betray his amusement. He fails though, his smile reaching his voice, giving it a lift of happiness. Steve shrugs, and does it anyway, putting his arm on the back of the couch. Phil resists the reflex to lean back into the touch, instead trying to spitball ideas for the next movie on the docket, but Tony beats him to the punch. “How about Independence Day? Aliens invade earth. Goldblum hacks them with a random OS. Not that realistic.”

“In a deleted scene, they explain they took OS from the ship.” Bruce counters. “Still not that realistic.”

Clint shushes the scientists, and manages to find the movie and pop it in without there being another argument. Steve leans in closer to Phil, and his breath rushes past Phil’s ear. “Is this going to be scary?”

“There’s a few moments... but you’ve faced worse.” He ignores the feeling he gets when Steve leans back to his original position. Bruce has pulled a tablet device from the couch somewhere, and is chatting back and forth with Tony. “Really, guys?”

“I get separation anxiety.” Tony quips. Phil can see _Stop Snooping Agent._ pop up on Bruce’s screen. _I know about your post on a certain forum._ Phil looks towards the opening scenes of the movie, not caring if Tony knew or not. He just knew he needed to stop looking.

Steve makes it through the movie without getting shaken, and Phil feels glad for the man. Sometimes it was all too close to home for Steve, and it wasn’t good. Once again, after team bonding time, Steve excuses himself to do Captainy things. Tony slides over to take his spot in the nest, and Phil’s not sure if that’s a good thing. He turns to look at the man, and it’s one of the most terrifying smiles Phil has ever seen. Phil’s been kidnapped 37 times, so, that’s saying something. “So, Phillip... when are you going to ask out the good Captain?” Tony asks when the other man has left.

“Never.”

“Don’t be so scared. Just do it.”

“I will not bring ridicule and shame upon the image of Captain America. I will not expose Steve to the close minded hold outs of this country.” Phil says bleakly, recalling the outcry when Northstar had gotten married.

“Will it make you feel better if Bruce and I make it a double date?” Tony asks and Phil feels himself clamp down on his surprise. Bruce seems rather calm about the whole situation. “I mean we were going to wait a few weeks before we went all public-y.”

Pepper hadn’t ever really lived in the tower, her job had kept her busy, and she’d eventually broken things off with Tony. Phil had completely missed Tony and Bruce’s relationship upgrade. As a somewhat secret agent, Phil was supposed to notice these things. Bruce puts his arm on the back of the couch, and Tony reaches over to hold his hand behind Phil. “I am not going to third wheel right now. I will act on your proposal after I step down painkillers to over the counter stuff.”

Tony makes a sign of triumph with his free hand, but Phil gets up carefully. Tony moves in closer to Bruce, and Phil takes his seat next to Clint who has an arm around Natasha. Tony and Bruce start talking science, Natasha and Clint murmur phrases in Russian. It comes to a point where Phil just feels out of place nestled between them. He stands again after a few minutes and excuses himself to his room.

It had been the drugs talking. That’s why he had agreed to ask Steve on a date. There was no other explanation. Phil sat down in a garish candy cane striped armchair. Looking at the end table he pulls a book from the stack. _Summer’s End: A Romance With Captain America_ once again Tony’s customization knows no shame. Under the book are several Captain America comics, bagged and boarded. A few of them are ones he has at home, but one of them stands out. Captain America #1, in all its finest glory. It’s colors have faded over time, but not as much as Phil would have expected. The back flap is not sealed with tape, which Phil finds strange, but he slides it out of its plasticy heaven easily. Opening it with care, he breathes in the scent of trade paper and ink.

It’s everything he dreamed it would be. Yet it still fell flat to the real deal. As a child these comics had been his everything, but as a man they were just stories. Steven Rogers is a real man, and compared to Captain America, he is so much more. Phil puts the comic away reverently. Against his better judgment, Phil gets up and signs onto a computer terminal in the corner of the room. After a bit of fiddling he remotely accesses his work files. Fury has a thickly filled calendar and Phil likes keeping apprised of it, even if he’s out for a while. A note is attached to the calendar informing Phil that he cannot change anything on it for a week. SHIELD knows him so well.

And so Phil spent his time for the next few days at the tower, spending time with the team, and it all goes so well... until Wednesday.

After lunch Phil stays in the kitchen to help clean up the dishes from the meal, and he finds himself alone with an unusually quiet Steve. It wasn’t that the man was normally verbose, it’s just that he normally doesn’t hover mouth opening to say something, and snapping shut repeatedly. As Phil dries the last plate, Steve finally finds the words he was looking for. “We... we kissed.”

Phil felt the blood in his face heat. “I do think I’d remember if that was the case.” He thinks about the painkillers he’s been taking and swears internally. “Unless memory loss is a side effect of my meds. Or sleep walking.”

Steve looks even more unsure of his words now, letting them weigh on his tongue before they even form sounds. “I mean, Captain America kissed Carla. After she was injured in the Battle for New York, I - he was so worried. But she was okay, and they kissed.” Steve comes closer now, and Phil hopes the man can’t hear the heart hammering in his chest. “I was scared this time. When you got hit by that blast, I thought we had lost you again. Tony swore his armor saved you, and not to worry, but I started to run to you.” Phil hadn’t known about that. The battle had been so frantic. He wasn't even supposed to have been down in the fight, but his quinjet had been grounded and he joined the fight close to Natasha and Clint. “When I heard you call out on the Comms, my feet stopped. You were alive and I needed to fight again.” Steve is still moving closer in the empty kitchen, backing Phil up against the sink. “Is it wrong that a cartoon version of me realized something before me?”

Phil stammers and he’s not sure what’s going on. Steve puts one hand on the counter next to Phil and ghosts the other one over Phil’s cheek. “What?” Is the only word Phil’s brain can supply his mouth with. Steve seems a little saddened by this but he stays there.

“May I kiss you Phil?” His hand is warm against Phil’s cheek, and Phil nods leaning into it. It’s short and clumsy, but really it’s the way every first kiss tends to be. Phil wishes they could linger on it, but the ding of the elevator notes a new arrival. Steve turns, his hand on Phil’s neck now, and Phil takes a peek at who’s here now. Tony walks brazenly out of the elevator smiling at them. “Captain, Agent, as you were.” He throws a mock salute their way, before he grabs a cup of coffee. Phil shakes his head at the man.

“Do you want to get dinner together sometime Steve?” Phil asks and he’s not entirely sure if it’s him or the drugs talking. Tony shoots him a thumbs up, and Steve smiles.

“That would be lovely. Now, I think I need to commandeer the television so I can set it to record Avengers Assemble.” Steve says. “After all, who knows what other lessons it will teach us?”


End file.
